Leadership_of_the_United_States_Special_Operations_Command

Leadership of the United States Special Operations Command

U.S. Special Operations Command leadership

This is a list of all commanders, deputy commanders, vice commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and chiefs of staff of the United States Special Operations Command.

Seal of the United States Special Operations Command

Current combatant command staff

Bryan P. Fenton, Commander
- Sean M. Farrell, Deputy Commander
  - Milton Sands III, Chief of Staff
    - Kelly K. Steele, Director, Personnel (J1)^[1]
    - Constantin E. Nicolet, Director, Intelligence (J2)^[2]
    - Michael E. Martin, Director, Operations (J3)
    - Christopher L. Paone, Director, Logistics (J4)^[1]
    - Kimberly C. Field, Director, Plans and Policy (J5)^[3]
    - Peter J. Tragakis, Director, Communications (J6)^[1]
    - Steven M. Marks, Director (J8)^[4]
    - Bradley J. Andros, Director, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (J10)^[5]
- Francis L. Donovan, Vice Commander
- Thomas R. Bouchard, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs^[6]

List of commanders of the United States Special Operations Command

Quick Facts Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, Type ...

Commander of the United States Special Operations Command
Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command
Incumbent General Bryan P. Fenton, USA since 30 August 2022
United States Department of Defense
Type	Unified combatant commander
Abbreviation	CDRUSSOCOM^[7]
Reports to	President of the United States Secretary of Defense
Seat	MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, U.S.
Nominator	Secretary of Defense
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	2–3 years (approx.)
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 167
Formation	16 April 1987
First holder	Duane H. Cassidy
Deputy	Deputy Commander, United States Special Operations Command

More information No., Commander ...

No.	Commander		Term			Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Service branch
1		Lindsay, James J.General James J. Lindsay (born 1932)	16 April 1987	27 June 1990	3 years, 72 days	U.S. Army
2		Stiner, Carl W.General Carl Stiner (1936–2022)	27 June 1990	20 May 1993	2 years, 327 days	U.S. Army
3		Downing, Wayne A.General Wayne A. Downing (1940–2007)	20 May 1993	29 February 1996	2 years, 285 days	U.S. Army
4		Shelton, Henry H.General Hugh Shelton (born 1942)	29 February 1996	25 September 1997	1 year, 209 days	U.S. Army
-		Smith, Raymond C. Jr.Rear Admiral Raymond C. Smith (1943–2022) Acting	25 September 1997	5 November 1997	41 days	U.S. Navy
5		Schoomaker, PeterGeneral Peter Schoomaker (born 1946)	5 November 1997	27 October 2000	2 years, 357 days	U.S. Army
6		Holland, Charles R.General Charles R. Holland (born 1948)	27 October 2000	2 September 2003	2 years, 310 days	U.S. Air Force
7		Brown, Bryan D.General Bryan D. Brown (born 1948)	2 September 2003	9 July 2007	3 years, 310 days	U.S. Army
8		Olson, Eric T.Admiral Eric T. Olson (born 1952)	9 July 2007	8 August 2011	4 years, 30 days	U.S. Navy
9		McRaven, William H.Admiral William H. McRaven (born 1955)	8 August 2011	28 August 2014	3 years, 20 days	U.S. Navy
10		Votel, Joseph L.General Joseph Votel (born 1958)	28 August 2014	30 March 2016	1 year, 215 days	U.S. Army
11		Thomas, Raymond A.General Raymond A. Thomas (born 1958)	30 March 2016	29 March 2019	2 years, 364 days	U.S. Army
12		Clarke, Richard D.General Richard D. Clarke (born 1962)	29 March 2019	30 August 2022	3 years, 154 days	U.S. Army
13		Fenton, Bryan P.General Bryan P. Fenton (born 1965)	30 August 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 284 days	U.S. Army

List of deputy commanders of the United States Special Operations Command

More information No., Deputy Commander ...

No.	Deputy Commander		Term			Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Service branch
1		Goodall, Harry A.Lieutenant General Harry A. Goodall	16 April 1987	May 1988	~1 year, 29 days	U.S. Air Force
2		Cox, Hugh L. IIIMajor General Hugh L. Cox III	May 1988	July 1990	~2 years, 61 days	U.S. Air Force
3		Snyder, DonaldMajor General Donald Snyder	July 1990	May 1991	~304 days	U.S. Air Force
4		Eggers, Thomas E.Major General Thomas E. Eggers	June 1991	July 1993	~2 years, 30 days	U.S. Air Force
5		Le Moyne, Irve C.Rear Admiral Irve C. Le Moyne (1940–1997)	July 1993	May 1996	~2 years, 305 days	U.S. Navy
6		McCombs, James C.Major General James C. McCombs	May 1996	1997	~1 year, 46 days	U.S. Air Force
7		Smith, Raymond C.Rear Admiral Raymond C. Smith (1943–2022)	1997	2001	~4 years, 0 days	U.S. Navy
8		Brown, Bryan D.Lieutenant General Bryan D. Brown	2002	2003	~1 year, 0 days	U.S. Army
9		Olson, Eric T.Vice Admiral Eric T. Olson (born 1952)	2003	July 2007	~4 years, 15 days	U.S. Navy
10		Kearney, Francis H. IIILieutenant General Francis H. Kearney III	July 2007	~April 2010	~2 years, 274 days	U.S. Army
11		Fridovich, David P.Lieutenant General David P. Fridovich	~April 2010	December 2011	~1 year, 244 days	U.S. Army
12		Mulholland, John F. Jr.Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland Jr. (born 1955)	August 2012	July 2014	~1 year, 334 days	U.S. Army
13		Pybus, Sean A.Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus (born 1957)	July 2014	July 2016	~2 years, 0 days	U.S. Navy
14		Osterman, JosephLieutenant General Joseph Osterman (born 1960)	July 2016	15 October 2018	~2 years, 92 days	U.S. Marine Corps
15		Szymanski, TimothyVice Admiral Timothy Szymanski (born 1962)	15 October 2018	16 December 2021	3 years, 62 days	U.S. Navy
16		Green, Collin P.Vice Admiral Collin P. Green (born 1962)	16 December 2021	20 January 2024	2 years, 35 days	U.S. Navy
17		Farrell, Sean M.Lieutenant General Sean M. Farrell	27 March 2024	Incumbent	74 days	U.S. Air Force

List of vice commanders of the United States Special Operations Command

More information No., Deputy Commander ...

No.	Deputy Commander		Term			Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Service branch
1		Fiel, Eric E.Lieutenant General Eric E. Fiel	11 June 2010	19 July 2011	1 year, 38 days	U.S. Air Force
2		Heithold, Bradley A.Lieutenant General Bradley A. Heithold	19 July 2011	16 June 2014	2 years, 332 days	U.S. Air Force
3		Trask, Thomas J.Lieutenant General Thomas J. Trask	16 June 2014	2 August 2017	3 years, 47 days	U.S. Air Force
4		Howell, Scott A.Lieutenant General Scott A. Howell (born 1965)	2 August 2017	29 July 2018	361 days	U.S. Air Force
5		Slife, James C.Lieutenant General James C. Slife (born 1967)	29 July 2018	June 2019	~321 days	U.S. Air Force
6		Bauernfeind, Tony D.Lieutenant General Tony D. Bauernfeind	31 June 2020	9 December 2022	2 years, 162 days	U.S. Air Force
7		Donovan, Francis L.Lieutenant General Francis L. Donovan	~15 December 2022	Incumbent	~1 year, 177 days	U.S. Marine Corps

List of senior enlisted leaders of the United States Special Operations Command

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (May 2024)

More information No., Senior enlisted leader ...

No.	Senior enlisted leader		Term			Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Service branch
6		Command Sergeant Major Thomas H. Smith	23 January 2006	27 September 2011	5 years, 247 days	U.S. Army
7		Command Sergeant Major James C. Faris	27 September 2011	15 October 2014	3 years, 18 days	U.S. Army
8		Command Sergeant Major William F. Thetford	15 October 2014	7 July 2016	1 year, 266 days	U.S. Army
9		Command Sergeant Major Patrick L. McCauley	7 July 2016	11 July 2019	3 years, 4 days	U.S. Army
10		Chief Master Sergeant Gregory A. Smith	11 July 2019	4 August 2022	3 years, 24 days	U.S. Air Force
11		Command Sergeant Major Shane W. Shorter	4 August 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 310 days	U.S. Army

List of chiefs of staff of the United States Special Operations Command

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (May 2024)

More information No., Chief of Staff ...

No.	Chief of Staff		Term			Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Service branch
-		Brigadier General Gary W. Heckman	December 1997	August 1998	~243 days	U.S. Air Force
-		Major General Joseph Votel (born 1958)	~3 May 2010	May 2011	~1 year, 12 days	U.S. Army
-		Major General Mark A. Clark	May 2011	August 2012	~1 year, 92 days	U.S. Marine Corps
-		Major General James B. Laster	August 2012	2014	~1 year, 319 days	U.S. Marine Corps
-		Major General Walter Lee Miller Jr.	~2014	~October 2015	~1 year, 107 days	U.S. Marine Corps
-		Major General J. Marcus Hicks	October 2015	June 2017	~1 year, 243 days	U.S. Air Force
-		Major General James C. Slife (born 1967)	June 2017	June 2018	~1 year, 0 days	U.S. Air Force
-		Major General James B. Linder	July 2018	July 2019	~1 year, 0 days	U.S. Army
-		Major General Tony D. Bauernfeind	July 2019	August 2020	~1 year, 31 days	U.S. Air Force
-		Rear Admiral Collin P. Green (born 1962)	15 October 2020	September 2021	~335 days	U.S. Navy
-		Major General Marcus S. Evans (born 1970)	September 2021	August 2023	~1 year, 334 days	U.S. Army
-		Rear Admiral Milton Sands III	31 July 2023	Incumbent	314 days	U.S. Navy

References

[1]
https://www.socom.mil/FactBook/2023%20Fact%20Book.pdf
[2]
"Brigadier General Constantin E. Nicolet - General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil.
[3]
"Kim Field - U.S. Special Operations Command | LinkedIn".
[4]
"Major General Steven M. Marks - General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil.
[5]
"Rear Admiral Bradley Andros". United States Navy.
[6]
"National Guard Biography". www.nationalguard.mil.
[7]
"DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, January 2021" (PDF). jcs.mil. Retrieved 15 May 2021.

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